MaterialDistrict

Lightweight and circular solar panels

Dutch solar panel manufacturer Solarge designed lightweight and circular solar panels, without PFAS, which can be recycled at end-of-life.

To make the energy transition possible, renewable sources of energy like wind and solar are indispensable. Unfortunately, solar panels have some major drawbacks. They are often produced in places that don’t care too much about human rights, and they are hard to recycle. In addition, not all roofs can handle the weight of solar panels.

Solarge’s solar panels are lightweight, weighing only 5.5 kg per m2 thanks to their PFAS-free, fibre-reinforced polymer material. The solar panels are said to have a 60% better carbon footprint than conventional panels. They are designed to be circular, so they can easily be recycled at end-of-life after an expected life of 25 years.

The solar panels are made in the Netherlands. Recently, Solarge opened their first production line to produce 200.000 solar panels annually.

Photos: Solarge

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